Acrylic Paint Brand Comparison. Comparing Liquitex, Winsor & Newton, Golden and DecoArt acrylics.

[@joz411no8]

If I’m not mistaken these paints are from different classifications. The Liquitex Basics and Windsor & Newton Galleria are from the student/beginners series, the Deco Art is a craft store (not fine arts) acrylic and the Golden is from the professional line of products, no? That’s something for the consumer to be mindful of if a person is comparing a $10, 8oz tube of paint to a $20, 3oz tube of paint.

[@Kyomiibrown]

Exactly right. Golden artist grade is guaranteed to be better. Also adding white first as an under layer to yellow in student grade means less layers needed.

[@RachelleByersArt]

agreed!

[@tyche8800]

that seems to be the point of the video. comparing the different classes of paints.

[@RachelleByersArt]

That is correct @Tyche

[@jojojo8835]

@@RachelleByersArt I wonder if the Golden was also a genuine cadmium and the others were ‘Cadmium Hue’, ie non-toxic alternatives to the heavy metal. I think Liquitex professional offers both genuine and hues, but I’m not sure about Golden.

[@tolusheabe9678]

This is the best comparison of acrylic paint I have seen. The parameters for comparison are the things that interest artists and helps in making their choice. Pls, keep it up

[@RachelleByersArt]

Wow thank you so much! I knew when I was first starting out, or when I go to try a new brand, I’m wondering these exact questions. How opaque is the paint? Is it runny or is it thick? How pigmented is this paint? Really appreciate your words 😊

[@emmalouie1663]

This past week I painted with Decoart for the first time and for the price I think it was fantastic for an inexpensive project. I have totally moved away from any snobbery in art supplies because I am not a professional making money off of it.

[@RachelleByersArt]

I think it’s all about finding a supply that works best for you and that also fits your budget. I’ve seen some pretty stellar artwork done with craft paint and you’d never know the difference if the artist hadn’t said something

[@Tiffany-eg6lj]

I really wish you would of shown the Liquitex Professional in this video. I feel using a level 1 against a level 3 without mentioning this will not be an accurate test of two brands but a test against student vs professional. I would like to see these two in comparison. Thank you for everything you do.

[@RachelleByersArt]

Hey Tiffany! Thanks so much for you comment and for watching my video. In my most recent acrylic paint brand comparison I have both the student grade and professional in Liquitex; it’s one of my most recent videos. I’d love for you to go check it out and tell me what you think

[@missartsyful]

@@RachelleByersArt could you please put a link here?

[@frankdavis4836]

Thanks for this comparison. I think a misconception is more expensive artist quality paint like Golden can be over priced. But, since an artist can use less paint for the same coverage than a Budget paint it lasts longer. I sometimes use more affordable paints for concept work, color grounds and lower thinner layers before adding Artist quality later.

[@RachelleByersArt]

I agree. I feel like people (and I’m guilty of this) see just the price tag on the paint. I think it’s completely reasonable to use a variety of paint brands as long as the painter understands the differences between them. I think the tricky part is when people try to use them with the same technique/ application expecting the same result. I also use more budget friendly paints for color grounds, wash layers and even for drawing out the painting. And find that I go through less of the professional grade paints than student grade as I feel the amounts used differ...could also be that my brain is subconsciously less concerned about the amount of paint I’m using on cheaper paint, while criticizing any amount wasted in the more expensive brands

[@frankdavis4836]

@@RachelleByersArt Thats true Rachelle. There is a tendency to be more liberal with cheaper paint applications as it costs less. Its fine to do that as we choose which paint is best as we build up the artwork. Whether budget, student or artist quality I enjoy the process regardless. Picasso used house paint sometimes so I dont think he was that fussed about a brand. He was a prolific worker in paint, paper, sculpture even poetry so its his creative energy I admire the most.

[@RachelleByersArt]

So true! Couldn’t have said it better myself.

[@erin758]

I just bought Yellows (Lemon or counterparts that are similarly opaque) from Mont Marte, Pebeo (Studio), Amsterdam (Standard), Liquitex (basics), and Golden (HB). When it comes to pigment load, price per mL, and body, Mont Marte's Dimension Acrylic > Lemon Yellow wins for me. It outperformed everything except for Golden heavy-bodied acrylics and Liquitex HB. Dimension acrylics from Mont Marte retains their shape and therefore, preserve your brush strokes. It is worth a try. The only downside is that it's too glossy.

[@leahfoy7844]

Hi Rachelle! I love watching your comparisons. One aspect that should be addressed is the opacity rating. We don't always want a complete coverage. A lot of artists layer paints to achieve depth. When buying paints always check your opacity rating to see if it has the coverage that you desire. Thank you for your consideration. Keep up the great videos!!

[@RachelleByersArt]

Hi @Leah Foy I will try to add that in future videos. Thank you for the suggestion

[@Pila426]

Excellent point. Opacity (or lack thereof) is not necessarily an indicator of quality. Some pigments are translucent. Some opaque paint colors are a little bit of pigment mixed with a whole lot of titanium white or buff/unbleached titanium.

[@tommyseptic1973]

The DecoArt Americana seems to have come in 2nd to golden in this comparison for everything except holding texture *something I never like to do with paint* and some mild color variation. Quite surprised watching this! I just got my first test bottle of DecoArt Americana Titanium White and I am actually very pleased with everything about it so far!

[@rogerjosefsen1360]

Please do a test with Liquitex heavy body and the Winsor&Newton heavy body to the Golden, and you would have a more fair test.

[@jcwgirl]

I decided to look up yellow paint comparisons because I just used the Windsor newton (which is advertised as a “level 2/Artist” paint vs the cheap craft paint…and I was soooo disappointed with its coverage. Most of the other colors worked well on a black canvas, but I’m on layer 4 and can still see black. Even the white only needed 3 layers. Thanks for your detailed comparison- I’ll get the golden brand tomorrow. Thanks again!

[@RachelleByersArt]

Hope that your painting is going well!

[@LadyVashj86woa]

Hi Rachelle, thank you for sharing your paint comparison videos! They were really helpful. When I started out painting in acrylics and watercolours, I bought cheap craft and lowest student grade paints, brushes, canvases and paper. After being frustrated, that not one painting came out the way I wanted, and especially needing 8 to 10 coats to cover a black background, I invested in Lukas Cryl Studio, Liquitex Basics and Winsor Galeria. In my opinion, every acrylic artist should start out with those paints, because they are relieable and offer a minimum of pigment load and consitentcy. Regarding watercolours, I switched to artist quality only, White Nights, which are very affordable ( 2 € for one whole pan). Especially the watercolour paper varies in quality. I started out with the cheapest I could get and now use Hahnemuehle. Acrylic paints are now the last medium to upgrade, because I want some "special colours" only Golden carries, and grew tired of not getting the desired paint out of mixing. Although I am a "starving" artist, I will now invest in Golden paints, because I want the highest pigment load, luminosity and brilliance possible for my paintings. When it comes to art supplies, the phrase "Don't be cheap with yourself" absoluteley fits.

[@RachelleByersArt]

This is so true! I think we've all been there...wanting to expand what mediums we paint with but being worried about investing too much money in a medium we aren't 100% on and then struggling more with the medium due to the type of paints we decided to start with. Had we started with artists grade instead of student grade our paintings would've progressed more smoothly and maybe wouldn't have fought us as much. This is truly why I feel like having the black circle tests is important to see, since knowing if the paint I'm using is going to cover an area I would like to adjust. Thanks so much for watching and for your comment! I truly appreciate it. I am in the process of getting ready to film my next brand comparison, so that should be released here soonish :)

[@gaga1812]

Price should realistically reflect per Oz and not the tubes at hands . For example W&N is $1/oz vs. Golden $8,7/oz.

[@Vaporwades]

Very helpful. I've been using the cheapest of the cheap paints (apple barrel) and I've been able to create some cool stuff but I'm excited to say I have some liquitex basics paints coming in the mail... Not the most fancy acrylic I can get but it's gonna be a huge step up from the 54¢ stuff I've been getting. Very excited to try em.

[@RachelleByersArt]

@person person I'd love to know what you think after you have tried them. You might end being surprised as how transparent they are in comparison to the apple barrel paints

[@Vaporwades]

@@RachelleByersArt I've tried em and I like em a lot actually. Some of them are definitely transparent but I find that to be good for mixing colors and stuff. I'm working on a painting with them currently and after I'm done I was gonna give my overall opinion on them in a youtube video. But yea I do like them a lot compared to the apple barrel paints

[@RachelleByersArt]

@person person that's great! I'm glad to hear that you are enjoying them so far :) I find that the ratios of paint when mixing is a lot different when using Liquitex in comparison to craft paints. I feel like once you have that figured out the Liquitex will open up a greater range of painting capabilities

[@cherylalikhani5957]

Thank you, the results were interesting. I wish I could see the comparisons for gel plate work and more professional brands were covered like, Amsterdam, Mont Marte, Aresta, etc

[@RachelleByersArt]

@Cheryl Alikhani. I plan to bring in some other brands; I definitely plan to compare Amsterdam in the future. In my most recent paint comparison I actually compared 8 total brands. Here is the link if you'd like to check it out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rmHPlayjiceDpbM

[@cherylalikhani5957]

@@RachelleByersArt thank you! That is awesome! I love thorough comparison videos and yours certainly were. I can get a vague idea of how well the finished work will be if it hopefully rolls out as well on the gel plate as it paints into the paper (fingers crossed).

[@riamaas]

some tutorials use decoart, from wich i don't have every color and i was wondering if i should use my cheap paint or the better (expencive) one for the missing colors, now i know what to do, so thank you very much for comparing, its very clear

[@RachelleByersArt]

Thanks so much for watching @ria maas

[@quixotic333]

i’m probably gonna get some winsor newton galerias with my holiday money. i’m excited to get a step up and create more paintings!

[@RachelleByersArt]

Hope your paintings are coming along and that you enjoy your time painting! Stay creative

[@zaras.448]

This was very helpful, thank you! :)

[@RachelleByersArt]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ZmashedIndustries]

I love that black coverage test, your video definitely helped me choose and I believe for costs I will go for liquitex, but I want to definitely try Golden, I'm about to go into resin painting, not sure if you've ever painted resin sculptures, but if you had the chance to do so I'd love it. This was an amazing video, I've kind of jsut started here on KZbin as well, so I've subbed for the quality of this video and hopefully that helps out out a bit. Good luck and have fun along the way!

[@RachelleByersArt]

Thanks so much. Golden and Liquitex are definitely my go tos! I am traditionally an oil painter and have only recently started painting with acrylics. For me total coverage with a painting medium is huge because sometime I don’t like the color I originally put down so what to block a total coverage color without having to do 1 million coats 😆 I have never tried a resin painting but am very interested in checking your videos out!

[@ZmashedIndustries]

@@RachelleByersArt I did a little more research and I'm definitely going to get into Liquitex. Did you try all of their ranges? I'm thinking about getting the Liquid ones instead of the classic paint tubes (I don't think I'll use them enough to keep them from drying, so liquid state might last longer in my case). I guess I won't find out until I make the jump and just buy them and try them all out. In terms of my content, I'd love it if you'd stop by, but I'm mainly into gaming so I'm not sure if that sparks your interest, but once I release some artsy stuff I'll hop in and let you know about it (should you still want to have a little look :D) Keep it up with the awesomeness!

[@RachelleByersArt]

By all of their ranges do you mean like the basics versus their heavy body? If yes then YES. I would say I prefer the heavy body to their basics as I feel like it maintains the true color better (in some colors the basics dries darker than the wet color). However I think the basics are a get way to start out and allow you to get a feel for painting with acrylics and then you could gradually work in some of the heavy body paints. I can’t wait to see your art!

[@RachelleByersArt]

A lot of times you can get kits of paint at a discounted rate from stores like Michaels (they do 40-50% off coupons frequently and ship fast)! Not sponsored just like their selection and delivery speed. When I originally got into acrylics I bought a like 60 color mini set of liquitex basics go get a feel for the paint

[@PieterZwaan]

This helped me out a lot. The perfect comparison video for me :D

[@RachelleByersArt]

Glad to hear it was helpful @Pieter Zwaneveld

[@ftvv456]

I am considering to buy some golden acrylics, but I wonder what is better to get for myself. Open, heavy body, high fluid…?

[@RachelleByersArt]

I think that really depends on what you are wanting to paint and what your end goals are

[@isabelacosta8481]

Thank you so much for this video!!

[@RachelleByersArt]

You are so welcome! I’ll be releasing another one here soon that goes into more depth 😊

[@roxannegordon6162]

I'm a beginner and bought a box of Artist Loft level 1 basic colors. It sat in my closet for a year before I set up my artist studio. It was clumpy and runny. Clumpy at first, then runny. Very thin. Then I discovered level 3, professional. BUT it is still not as thick and smooth as Liquitex. heavy body. I also bought a few Golden which is awesome. My biggest problem, that you addressed here, was how many coats of paint does it take to cover a dark area that I want to make lighter? The Golden wins. My local shop has Winsor but I always thought that was oil, not acrylic. I might give it a go, see what happens. Thanks for a great video.

[@RachelleByersArt]

Winsor and Newton has both oils and acrylics. When I painted in oils Winsor and Newton was one of my favorites. Thank you so much for watching and supporting my channel :) really appreciate it

[@johnbyers1097]

Hi Rachelle. Great information. As a beginner, I found this information and the tests very useful. Many thanks! Subscribed!

[@RachelleByersArt]

Thanks so much for watching! If there’s anything I can review or a video you feel would be helpful, please let me know. I’d be happy to try to accommodate your request!

[@johnbyers1097]

Thank you, so much, for taking the time to reply and your offer of assistance. I really appreciate it. As a beginner, my main concerns are loading the brush correctly; use of water, other additives or mediums when painting; colour matching is a big problem for me too (even tho I’ve done colour charts for the paints I use). Take care and stay safe!

[@TheShamblingUnknown]

Hi. Very informative. Thanks !

[@m.w.5430]

very helpful video thank you so much for this!

[@RachelleByersArt]

Glad it was helpful!

[@bobbyhaddock2242]

I'm amazed at such an awesome informative video. Well done 👍👍

[@RachelleByersArt]

Thanks again!

[@CAZZIEK321]

Have you ever compared Windsor and Newton student with the professional. I’d be interested to know If there’s much difference. I did wonder if acrylic paints ever have issues with lightfastness, but I’m presuming it’s would only be a problem with really poor grade budget paints. Any thoughts?

[@RachelleByersArt]

@CAZZIEK321 I find the Winsor and Newton professionals to be very good paints; just wish there were more colors. I’d be happy to make a new video. Anything in particular other than the lightfastness you’d like me to test?

[@CAZZIEK321]

Thanks for your reply. I suppose we all ask that question, are professional acrylics worth the additional money. Density, flow, opacity, lightfastness, texture, verses cost/value for money. In water colour I think it is worth the extra investment, but I’m not so sure in acrylics.

[@RachelleByersArt]

Honestly I think you can use any brand as long as you understand the limitations of the brands you are using. Knowing how to adjust your technique to accommodate various brands allows you to manipulate the paint to do what you’re wanting. Personally I prefer using the professional brands as they provide the desired effect while using less paint (for the style of paintings I use) I tend to only use student grade for washes or under paintings

[@chockpea]

Have you done a comparison with Amsterdam or Arteza paints at all? Thanks

[@RachelleByersArt]

I haven’t but I’d be happy to add them to my list!

[@chockpea]

@@RachelleByersArt Thanks x

[@lifeismusicparnadonkers]

I am buying the Winsor and Newton galaria acrylic paints. Is this good for a not a bigginer? I love these test video,s

[@erin758]

no, try mont marte's dimension acrylics. It is more opaque than its more expensive counterparts from amsterdam and pebeo. but it you want the best and don't mind the price tag, try acrylics from golden and Liquitex HB or the more affordable liquitex basics

[@abhijitpatil5692]

Thanks for wonderful explanation 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@RachelleByersArt]

Thanks for watching and for commenting!

[@molsondutch93]

This is super helpful, thank you

[@RachelleByersArt]

You're very welcome @meganshea!

[@gladiatormechs5574]

Can i use the original heavy body GOLDEN ACYLIC paint inside of my AQUARIUM on my 3D printed decorations.. and use it as a protective sealer as well.

[@erin758]

if you intend to place animals in there then it might not be a good idea. maybe try painting on the other side of the glass

[@Carole_Williamson]

I would have loved to know the actual opacity of each paint, i.e. what the little square looks like. And “true” cadmium yellow doesn’t have the word “hue” after it since that indicates it’s synthetic. And your DecoArt paint is a liquid paint, not a tube which has a thicker viscosity.

[@MrKongatthegates]

Hue dosent mean synthetic. Cadmium is actually a synthetic color. Hue means it is a recreation of a more historical classical color with cheaper synthetic materials. Cadmium is toxic and expensive but has excellent coverage/opacity.

[@yoo-jinjung366]

This is so useful! I was looking for thick yellow colour. :-)

[@RachelleByersArt]

Glad it was helpful @Yoo-Jin Jung!

[@peaceforchildren4303]

Hi, did the winsor newton dry matt?

[@RachelleByersArt]

More satin

[@ghoulape6976]

What type of bush do you use ?

[@RachelleByersArt]

I use a variety of brands but like every Princeton brush I’ve tried

[@lakai02]

Liquitex Professional and Golden are on par but i see a lot of people using winsor colors as substitutes for both brands as they have more desirable colors i assume

[@RachelleByersArt]

This is probably one of my favorite conversations to have with other artists is why they’ve chosen a particular brand that they continue to use and what their pros are on that brand above others.

[@Stevie2014]

Thank you, this was very informative 👍🏾👨🏽‍🎨

[@RachelleByersArt]

Thanks! I tried to cover areas I felt were relevant to a painter

[@Stevie2014]

I just purchased $400 worth of Golden Paint based on your excellent illustration here. Keep up the good work. I appreciate it. 😊

[@tiagodagostini]

It is really not fair to use the liquitex STUDENT grade against the professional paints. Liquitex HEavy body is their professional paint and it compares quite well to Golden

[@RachelleByersArt]

Hi @Tiago D'Agostini that's actually the whole point of this video. To showcase the differences between the different levels/prices so that artists are better able to find the paint that fits their needs, from coverage to the financial decision of the brand they select. As well as showing that in some cases you don't have to spend big dollars to have a solid coverage.

[@typebymayank]

Hi! Do Winsor n Newton Acrylic colors work same on black paper as they work on a white one?

[@RachelleByersArt]

@typebymayank, I have not tried all of the Winsor n Newton paints. I would suggest paying close attention the the transparency level of each tube. Some will be more opaque and cover more than others

[@typebymayank]

@@RachelleByersArt thankyou!

[@user-sv4vi2iw4g]

Great video , very informative!

[@RachelleByersArt]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@cynthiacarson9553]

So helpful thank you so much! 🤗

[@RachelleByersArt]

Thank you so much for watching! Hope you have a lovely evening

[@123agidee_2]

This proves that the price tag is what it is for a reason

[@RachelleByersArt]

Agreed! while the lower price point may be appealing I end up using less of the higher (expensive) quality paints

[@nikolaosatsounakas8927]

Hi there . thanks for your effort but unfortunately this is not an accurate comparison. Cadmium yellow medium hue is not a single pigment colour. It is a combination of different pigments trying to resemble the original cad yellow medium hue. Every company uses different combinations . So you are actually comparing different pigments. For the comparison to be true and accurate you have to compare a single pigment colour that is the same across brands, like ultramarine ( PB29 )or phthalo green (PG7).

[@nikolaosatsounakas8927]

@Rachelle Byers my pleasure ,keep on exploring!

[@RachelleByersArt]

@@mmbrown82 I hope this message finds you doing well. I have actually created a brand comparison video of single pigmented paint and am in the process of editing so I can load it. Was there something specific that you were looking to be reviewed?

[@martig1000]

Nice design of boards.

[@RachelleByersArt]

Thank you

[@alexdannys]

i like this very good acylic brand stay connected and safe...newFriend.. thanks for sharing

[@RachelleByersArt]

Thank you, I will!

[@ChristinaTodd1970]

Thank you so much

[@RachelleByersArt]

You're most welcome! Thanks for watching

[@netsaosa4973]

excellent 👍

[@RachelleByersArt]

Thank you for watching!

[@artifexmom3824]

Wow! That’s informative my dear. Thanks for sharing it!☺️❤️ Hi I’m #195☺️👋🏻 God bless you.🙏🏻

[@RachelleByersArt]

Thank you for watching! And thank you for subscribing 😊

[@stephenshop4946]

I wish you use opaque winsor and Newton against golden

[@RachelleByersArt]

I will try to do that in an upcoming video. Any particular color you'd like compared?

[@stephenshop4946]

@@RachelleByersArt Special request for testing if it completely covers black color, Cadmium Yellow, series #1, because it's cheaper. Or could be Cadmium Red, series #1.

[@NN-fz4pd]

Deco art had the best coverage/opacity.

[@soniagonzales9144]

Golden!🤗🖒

[@RachelleByersArt]

Golden is such a great paint!

[@okok5151]

golden is stupid expensive and it genuinely pisses me off i’m proud to say if i ever use golden i will be racking it

[@MrKongatthegates]

True cadmium would be WAY more opaque

[@geekbro6265]

Liquitex sucks you get more coverage with .50 paint from Walmart

[@RachelleByersArt]

@geekbro ha! I just laughed out loud. Do you feel the same way about their professional line?

[@geekbro6265]

@@RachelleByersArt no the professional is a different level tho

[@RachelleByersArt]

@geekbro I would agree that it's on a different level, was just curious if you felt the same way about all of Liquitex products or just mainly their Basics line.

[@geekbro6265]

@@RachelleByersArt just the basics, I’m a stickler for opaque so when it comes to transparent paint I’d rather just pay .50 cents, I’ve seen some people do amazing work with cheap paint, but hey whatever works tho